Electrical utilities, power plant operators, and/or grid operators are faced with certain difficulties when providing electrical power to a broad range of consumers. For example, electrical utilities may rely on energy sources that vary in availability, e.g., available solar power generally varies throughout the day and also with the weather. Likewise, wind power may vary daily and/or seasonally with the weather.
In addition, demand for electrical power does not typically correlate directly to the availability of power from these energy sources. For example, electrical power consumed by households tends to increase in the evening hours due to watching television, cooking, showering, etc., while the availability of solar energy at these times is limited. In addition, large energy consumers such as server installations (e.g., data centers, server farms, etc.) may provide increased demand for electrical power at times when certain energy sources are limited or unavailable for the electrical utility.
In some cases, imbalances on the grid can cause disruptions, such as grid outages. Grid outages can have significant consequences for both utilities and consumers. However, it is difficult to predict grid disruptions, and thus it is difficult for both utilities and consumers to take steps to mitigate the effects of grid disruptions before they occur.